Beloved Family:
I completely understand if the reader starts to wonder whether the pastor is fixated on the occasion of the United States semiquincentennial. This third reference installment will be the final one, I assure you. At least in Pennsylvania, a good many of the events planned around the July 4 Independence Day holiday were postponed or completely cancelled, due to severe heat in the Philadelphia region. That said, the local parade in my sister’s hometown took place as scheduled. It included a float from our grade school alma mater, Saint Jude. From all reports, the school is still thriving—almost fifty years since my graduation (1977)!
I am not nearly as historically conscious as I ought to be. I appreciate recently being reminded that there was one Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence: Charles Carroll. The product of a notable Catholic family from Annapolis, Maryland, Carroll was a cousin to America’s first bishop John Carroll of Baltimore (for whom John Carroll University in Cleveland is named). A key player in various efforts to bring about the revolution, Carroll helped secure Maryland’s support for the Declaration of Independence. He also helped Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Chase in diplomatic efforts to rally support for the revolution from French Canadians.
During the years of the Revolutionary War, Carroll served as a member of the Continental Congress and helped form the Maryland state government. He was elected to the Maryland state senate in 1781 and served for a time in the first as one of Maryland’s first United States senators (material courtesy of Simply Catholic).
Now, I would like to share a marvelous experience my sister, Trisha, and I had—of all places, in a store. On the second Tuesday of my visit, we attempted to take in a local museum, The James Michener. We learned of a featured exhibition presenting a series of artistic depictions of the event of Washington crossing the Delaware River. Well, it turns out the museum is closed on Tuesdays in summer, to allow for youth camps to bring groups. So, we alternately decided to walk the streets of Doylestown, which is the county seat of Bucks where we were raised and boasts some beautiful architecture.
At one point, we moseyed into a shop called “The Lilies of the Field.” That ought to have offered a hint of things to come. Anyway, on the door we read a small sign, “Prayer requests: call…” and then a phone number. Keep in mind that this was not a “Christian bookstore,” per se. However, it soon became evident, based on some of the merchandise and conversational exchanges occurring with other patrons, that the shop owner is a person of faith. She soon offered us a drink of spring water; that brought to mind a Biblical reference.
I will streamline the story here. While we did make a purchase, the highlight of the encounter occurred when the three of us shared a brief time intercessory prayer—right at the checkout counter. Trust me: this was not because I am a priest, but because a fellow disciple—this dear lady named Jonah (pronounced with a short “O,” like Johnna from our office team) is not afraid to incorporate giving testimony to Christ alongside her operating a business. I imagine that she receives a variety of reactions from people. Judging, however, from the blend of customers entering and exiting—including a trio of young boys to whom she made the same offer of cold water—she has established quite a good rapport with the community. Here’s to many more such witnesses!
Speaking of witness, the fact approximately 90 young people are set to participate in the Vacation Bible School collaborative between Saint Agnes and Saint Mary this week shows that families understand that faith formation continues through twelve months of the year. Praise be to Jesus Christ.
Let His Peace Be with You,
Fr. Stephen
